28 May, 2026
Episode 323: How To Get Your Employer’s Support To Build On The Side
In this episode
🎙️ Episode Overview
Are you worried about what happens if your employer finds out about your side business?
Are you ready to stop letting fear hold you back and start turning your 15 or 20 years of experience into an impactful asset?
Have you been wondering whether a portfolio career could be your next move, but you’re feeling stuck on how to navigate the corporate boundaries?
In this episode, I share a personal story about what happened when a previous employer found out about the coaching business I was building on the side.
Instead of the negative response I had braced myself for, they ended up inquiring about my return-to-work course and paying me to pilot it internally!
Handled well, this conversation doesn’t have to be a risk – it can actually become your very first opportunity. Building a portfolio career isn’t about being disloyal to your role. It’s about moving with intention and strategically leveraging the incredible value already sitting in your toolkit.
Summary
✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode
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Your expertise is an under utilised asset. The experience you have spent decades building is highly valuable. You don’t need a perfect business plan, a website, or a fully formed idea to get started; you just need to realize that you are sitting on far more value than you think
- The 4 steps to getting your employer’s support. I break down the exact framework to position your side build professionally: starting on your idea first, auditing your employment contract (checking for outside interests, conflicts, and IP clauses), identifying the mutual value add, and framing the disclosure conversation around the what, the how, and the why it isn’t a conflict.
- Turning corporate boundaries into career value. Discover how building a side practice actually sharpens your communication, commercial thinking, and leadership skills – ringing an upgraded strategic skill set and brand visibility right back to your day job.
Invest in Yourself and Your Career:
- Community — Join our Network for mid-career women redesigning what’s next in their careers
- Coaching — Join the Waitlist for The Portfolio Career Academy. Turn Your Expertise Into Multiple Streams of Income & Impact Through Building A Portfolio Career. Join The Waitlist
Episode notes
As an award-winning certified executive and career coach, TEDx speaker, podcast host and former lawyer, I have seen way too many female professionals under selling themselves and settling for less in their careers. I am committed to equipping high achieving women with the tools and support to create careers that are both meaningful and impactful.
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a rating and review. It helps the show reach more ambitious professionals who need this message.
🌿 Monthly Pause & Plan Sessions
I also host a complimentary Pause & Plan session once a month for professionals and leaders who want to step away from the noise and plan with intention. Join our next session.
🔗 Get in Touch
Want to connect and share your thoughts on the episode? Send an email to podcast@careerchangemakers.com
Instagram: @careerchangemakerspodcast
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